My favorite type of book to read is romance, the kind that has a happy ending and makes you feel good about love. And that's exactly what my debut novel, Growing Up Neighbors, does.

Here's a blurb: Little Deborah Harrington stared across the street the day the Michaels family moved in. Who was this family? Would she even like them? Nicholas Michaels hated the fact he had to move away from everything and everyone in his life, but his feelings change when he meets the Harringtons. Deborah and Nicholas become the best of friends, and as the children grow up, their friendship deepens. But then tragedy strikes. Will this cause them to part ways? Or will it perhaps make them realize they may have stronger feelings for one another before it's too late?

Growing Up Neighbors will embark you on a journey through various life experiences; the final destination is discovering love.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and anyone who knows me knows I love to give. So my gift to you this Christmas is a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of Growing Up Neighbors. To enter the contest, please visit this link:

I’m offering a free Kindle copy of my novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story to anyone who joins my mailing list. Blue Hydrangeas is the sad but beautiful story of a pair of retired Cape Cod innkeepers struggling with Alzheimer's. Find out why one reader said “I read it twice just to make sure I didn’t miss anything,” and another said “The drama reaches out and grabs you.” I’m pretty sure you’ll love the ending.

An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own?

Monday, December 21, 2015

The Cost of Christmas by Stacy Monson
There's so much focus during the Christmas season on gift-giving. We may agonize over just the right gift to give, or quickly snap up something that we think the recipient might like. We buy wrapping paper by the yards, bows and ribbon, boxes and bags to prepare the gifts we finally decide on. The cost, between the gift itself, the wrapping, and perhaps the shipping, can be astronomical.
While we're busily shopping, perhaps we should pause to consider the cost of Christmas itself. Not the cost of the trappings of the celebration but of the gift that started it all.
The baby in the manger was wrapped in strips of cloth, not expensive foil paper. The night was filled with the songs of the angels, not the latest musical group. The meal would have been simple bread and wine carried miles in their belongings, not a special meal served on delicate china in a warm home with family gathered round.
The financial cost of that first Christmas was minimal but its impact was priceless. The Christ child didn't come to give us material wealth, prestige or worldly acclaim. He came to give us something far more precious - His life. He was born for us so He could die for us. No gift on earth has had that price tag affixed to it. We certainly could never afford it.

But while it cost Him everything, He offers it to us for free. We cannot pay for it, earn it, or repay it. We do not deserve it. But it is the gift He picked out specifically for us, wrapped in glory, offered with love. It's the original gift that keeps on giving. We can unwrap it day after day after day, and it will never run out, never expire, never be taken away. So while you're shopping for that one perfect gift, remember that it's already yours for the keeping and the sharing. In this case, one size truly fits all.

Thanks for being part of

the Twelve Days of Giveaways!

If you'd like to be

entered to win an autographed

set of books 1 and 2

of the Chain of Lakes Series,

follow the link below the book desciptions

Shattered Image: Kiera Simmons’ career as a high-profile fashion model ends abruptly when a failed relationship nearly lands her in jail. Now she forges a quiet life helping teens understand their eternal value in a world saturated with the distorted messages of society.Peter Theisen is on the fast track to everything the celebrity life promises, with each step of his meteoric rise in the music world orchestrated by his ambitious manager.Their sweet, unexpected romance is threatened by her past and his future, a life-changing diagnosis, and financial devastation. As they struggle to find their way back to each other, and to the One who matters most, the allure of wealth and fame may jeopardize everything.Dance of Grace: In one tragic moment, dancer Vanessa Jordan lost her family, her career, and her future. She blames God for destroying everything that mattered.Kurt Wagner, an ex-con with a second chance at life and faith, aches to shed his past and see his dream of helping teens become reality.The former dancer and the ex-con form an unlikely alliance to build River House, a safe haven for kids on the street. But when Kurt’s past threatens his dreams and his life, Vanessa becomes a target as well. It will take a stubborn love, the grace of God, and one courageous teen to keep the River House dream alive.
Remember - share a comment below about what you really enjoy during the Christmas season to be entered to win an autographed set of Shattered Image & Dance of Grace. **If you tweet this blog, you'll get an additional entry to the contest!** Follow the link below for details.

In Brenda S. Anderson's novel, CHAIN OF MERCY, both the hero and heroine are broken, both have made terrible choices, and both struggle to find hope with the mess they've made of their lives. Through Christ, they eventually find that hope.About Chain of Mercy ~

A devastating argument

One reckless decision

An unforgivable sin

Manhattan businessman Richard Brooks was at the top of the world, drunk with success, wealth, and women until one disastrous evening, when his world came crashing down.Richard flees to Minneapolis where he repairs ancient boilers instead of solving corporate problems, and he’s determined to live the solitary life he now deserves … Chained to his guilt. Blending in with the gray. No luxuries in sight.But Executive Sheila Peterson has other plans for the handsome custodian. Richard appears to be the perfect match for the no-strings-attached romance she’s after, but she soon discovers that he’s hiding more than the designer suits in his closet.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

SummaryMeg never complained when her father stipulated in his will that she must marry and have a male heir to own his ranch. That is, until she lost her husband to a spring storm. Now everything that looked secure in her life is as destroyed as the buildings around her.If the loss of her spouse wasn’t hard enough, she now has to take on the ranch and the new foreman, Jax. He likes to argue with her even more than he likes his job. Meg wants to trust him, but Jax is running from something. He has secrets that could put Meg and the ranch in grave danger.Can Jax conquer his past and teach Meg what love is really like? Can Meg trust that he wants her for more than just the land?Ultimately, this story is about listening to God’s will over what others say is right or wrong. God’s will does not change, nor does his love for us. His timing may not fit with our own, but it’s always rightEnter to win a signed print copy of To Honor and Cherish!

About the book: While volunteering at a youth camp in the Ozark Mountains, Carmen Riley sponsors a challenging group of teenage girls. She longs to make a difference in their lives, but unsettling news from home rattles her confidence. When Carmen meets a charming young pastor, will his wise advice give her the courage she desperately needs?After discovering that the camp is in danger of closing, Pastor Andrew vows to save it. With Carmen’s help, he rallies a group of sponsors to come up with a plan of action. However, the task could cost him much more than he bargains for.In a race against time, a common goal unites them, but unforeseen circumstances threaten to tear them apart. Will their relationship and faith in God endure long enough to see Beauty Restored?

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Go HERE to find out how to enter to win a signed copy or receive a free download!!!

About the book:

My name is Madeleine Warwick and I'm a woman under siege.Several years ago, a treasure hunting reality show resurrected the long-forgotten tale of Civil War treasure buried on my family's property. Ever since, amateur treasure hunters have been trespassing, invading our land. When their negligence cost my uncle his life, I forged a letter to disprove the treasure's existence. This stopped the hunters – but only for a time. Now they are coming back and, what’s worse, my secret has been discovered.Arrogant Professor Gregory Randall knows about the forged letter, and he can ruin me with one phone call. But he won’t – as long I let him stay on the property to search for the treasure himself. It isn't easy living in the same house as your blackmailer, and there's more to Randall than meets the eye. He’s convinced there’s something to find, and I’m starting to think he might be right.But even as we race to find the treasure first, the situation is becoming dangerous. Someone is determined to stop us: and they aren't afraid to use violence to do so. I’m running out of ideas, options, and time, and what’s worse, my blackmailer is the only one I can rely on.​My first defense is the last man I can trust.

Traveling nurse Mercy Mares is up to her eyeballs in donations for the town's annual holiday celebration. Every nook and cranny of her house and all of her friend's and neighbor's houses are overflowing with gifts for ill children in her local hospital. It's all she can do to keep track of what is what and who is who.

On the night that she and her merry band of helpers are to deliver these gifts, everything, including gifts she bought for her loved ones, simply disappear without a trace.

Now Mercy has to find the thief before those who appointed her this year's Mrs. Claus find out that they're missing and dozens of children are left disappointed.

Enlisting the help of her reluctant loved ones, Mercy has a humdinger of a mystery to solve in a flash in order to save Christmas.

In the Mystery/Romance category today, I'm highlighting Melanie Mason's recent release The Ring of Remaliha. Win a signed copy by following the link to her website above. Here's a teaser:When April Tanner unexpectedly receives an ancient Egyptian ring, she is thrust in the midst of a desperate plot to uncover a treasure that will change the world.She travels to Egypt only to find herself dodging thieves, assassins, and rich debonair colleagues. Uncovering the secrets of the ring could lead to the treasure . . . or her own tomb.

Melanie Mason has also published The Line That Divides, a WW2 historical fiction novel.

About the book:Though Angela Donovan is out of work and needs money for rent, she yearns for her eight-year-old daughter to have a carefree holiday. The last thing she wants is the pressure of her daughter expecting a miracle. But when they pick out a Christmas tree at a cozy Massachusetts tree farm that’s exactly what happens when they learn the trees might be miracle trees.

Mark Shafer is soon to be the new keeper of the Christmas trees when he inherits the family farm. He’d like to run it with a family of his own, but his girlfriend wants nothing to do with farm life. He makes plans to sell so he can propose to his girlfriend and pursue a career in music. Then he meets an unforgettable customer and her daughter, and an anonymous gift compels them to learn the truth about the trees.

With a buyer willing to pay top dollar for the land, Mark has the fate of the trees in his hand. Will he be able to see what and who is most important? And will Angela give the miracle of love a chance?

I also blog at these "spots"

CURRENTLY READING:

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (for book club)

Half the Skyby Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

The Book of Mormonby various authors

Out of the mouths of writerly people

"Once the disease of reading has laid hold upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. The wretch takes to writing." --Virginia Woolf

"...it's easy after all not to be a writer. Most people aren't writers and very little harm comes to them." --Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot